Do you know a really good way to get your company, your brand, and yourself inside the minds of individuals who aren’t a part of your audience yet? Guesting on a podcast. Being a podcast guest means talking with a professional host to produce entertaining content.
The goal is to have a conversation about a topic and to be entertaining by being informational, amusing, or dramatic during your conversation. This can be about general topics you enjoy or current events, but when it’s for your business, you likely want to talk about your industry.
But the idea of being on a podcast can be intimidating, understandably. On paper, it can seem like you’re having a conversation in front of an audience. Only thing is, you can’t see this audience to gauge their reaction, but you probably feel them staring at you. Then you get subconscious about what you’re saying, if you’re saying something wrong, or if you’re saying something that doesn’t sound right. If you think this will happen to you and you already feel yourself getting worried, hear this:
Stop for a moment, and consider some advice on how those of us at ENX2 Marketing have gotten past these pain points. After hosting a season of a podcast of our own, we’ve realized a few things about the process that should soothe nerves.
The Host Wants Podcast Guests to Sound Good
The person with the most to lose from a poor episode isn’t you, it’s the host. It’s their job to make sure that the conversation continues and has something to offer. If you’re worried about having nothing to say, they will dig it out of you if they’re a good host. That’s what they’re supposed to do, ask questions, poke buttons, and get responses.
If you’re worried about pausing, stuttering, or not being clear, don’t, because every quality podcast has an editor. The editor will do their best to get rid of repeated words, periods of silence, or things you said by mistake.
Don’t worry about the podcast you’re guesting on leaving you hanging. It benefits them in no way for you to look or sound bad. It actually hurts them more than you if they let you sound bland, boring, or unclear.
When you guest on a podcast, you’re helping someone make content for their vertical. Of course, you’re doing it to get yourself or your own business out there, but if someone finds that episode boring, that reflects on the host and their team more than you. Your job is to show up, and offer your experience and thoughts.
The Host Wants to Hear What You Have to Say
Another thing some members of the team were worried about as ENX2 Marketing recorded our podcast was monopolizing the conversation. It was common to start or end an episode with the worry, “What if I talk/talked too much?”
When you’re a podcast guest, don’t be so afraid of over-talking. The host invited/agreed to have you talk with them because they want to hear your voice. The host isn’t the one with the new point of view for their audience, you are. Every podcast’s audience should be used to the host and know their thoughts intimately. They want to hear what you have to say that the host doesn’t, or even what you affirm for the podcast’s host. Never be afraid to talk about your experience.
If you’re talking, and you’re so into what you have to say that you haven’t let the host get a word in, don’t panic. If the host thought what you had to say was too much, they would have stopped you. It’s in their job description to know how to change a subject or fluidly interject. If they haven’t stopped you, that’s a message to keep going. This means you’re doing a good job.
And if you actually do say too much, that’s what the editor is for. So truly, even if you do say too much, few people will know.
Do Your Research Before Being a Podcast Guest
Our advice has been predicated on one thing, whether or not the podcast you’re guesting for has a good host and team. If they’re not that experienced in controlling the conversation, and they’re not experienced in editing the boring parts of the podcast out, why would you want to go on it?
The podcast host and their team should be researching their guests thoroughly, but you should investigate them too. Listen to their episodes, read up on their process, do they seem like they’ve hammered podcasting down?
If you listen to their episodes and you don’t think they can protect your image, or help you make decent and entertaining conversation, don’t go on that podcast.
Want Help With Podcasts? Contact ENX2 Marketing
We’ve created a whole season of podcasts that you can watch on YouTube or listen to on Apple Podcasts and from our direct RSS feed. With our experience, we can help you get on this free and profitable advertising vertical. For more marketing information and services, ENX2 Marketing is always here to help. Contact us today.